Flush-valve



E. L. KELLAN.

FLUSH VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY15, 1916.

1,385,456. Patented July 26, 1921.

Jay;

EDWARD L. KELLAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLUSH-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 26, 1921.

Application filed May 15, 1916. Serial no. 97,522;

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L1 KELLAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flush-Valves; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to improvements in flush valve devices forsupplying a desired volume of liquid'through a desired interval of timefrom a'sou-rce of liquid supply under pressure to a place or places ofuse for the liquid;

The presentinvention relates to that type of valve devicecommonly'knownas semiautomatic wherein' the valve is opened for the flowof liquid therethrough through the instrumentality of a manuallyoperable device, the valve being reason of the differential pressuresfrom the source of supply acting on the valve parts. The inventionconsists in the arrangement and combination of the elements shown in thedrawings'and described in the specification and 'ispointedout in the apended claims. 7

In said drawings y Figure'l is a vertical axial section of a valveembodying my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3- are transverse sections on the lines 2-2 and 3-3respectively of Fig. 1. r i

As shown in the drawings, 10designates the valve casing'which isprovided at one end with an inlet branch 11 and at its side with anoutlet branch 12. To the inlet branch, andas herein shown as made a partseparatefrom and threaded to the casing is a tubular adapter element 11which is shown ashaving a'reduced interiorly threaded end to receive apipe adapted for connection to a sourceo-fthe flushing fluid. The saidcasing 10 is'extendedupwardly to constitute a timing cylinder 1 1, thepurpose of which will be hereinafter 7 described, and saidtimingcylinder is closed at its upper end by a cap 15 between which and-theend of the cylinder is interposed a yielding packing 1-6.- Containedwithin the enlarged lowerscrew th-readed end 17 0f the casing is aperforated diaphragm 18 which is-confined subsequently closed by betweena downwardly facing annular shoulder 19 and the upper end of the screwthreaded inlet extension 11, packing washers 20, 20, being interposedbetween the coaoting clamping parts to provide liquid proof joints. Thelower side of said diaphragm 18 is constructed to form the body seat 21of the valve. Formed also on the lower side of the diaphragm is anannular, downwardly extending fiangeor lip 22 that constitutes a guidefor the main valve '23, said diaphragm being readily removed for thepurpose of regrinding orreplacement when the extension 11, oralternately the flushing fluid supply pipe is-detache'd, it beingexposed at and freely accessible from the end of the casing. Said valveengages the seat 21 to controlthe flow of flushing fluid through thedevice, and is guided in movement in said flange 22. Said valve iscarried by the lower end of a hollow stem 25 which latter terminates atits u per end in a motor piston 26' provided with an upwardly directannular flange 27 which reciprocates Within the cylinder. The seatingface of the main valve is preferably formed on a yielding washer 28 thatis held in place between a flanged portion 29 of the hollow valve stemand a disk member 30 which constitutes the principal body of the valve;said disk member 30 being provided with a downwardly extending flange 31which is internally screw threaded to engage external screw threads onthe lower end of the hollow valve stem. Said hollowvalve stem isprovided with a series of guide wings 32 which engage with a guiding fitthe opening in the diaphragm 18. The disk member 30 of the valve isprovided with an upstanding marginal lip 34 which loosely fits withinthe flange or lip 22 of the diaphragm 18,

the purpose of which is to cut off the full flushing flow of the liquidand to thereafter permit a restricted after-fill flow, also to preventforeign matter from lodging on the seat.

On the lower end of the hollow stem is formed a seat that is engaged bya relief valve 35 which is carried by the lower end of a stem comprisinga lower enlarged portion 36 and an upper portion 37 Said lower- Iportion of the stem isvpreferably fluted or winged and has guiding"engagement with the bore of-the hollow stem 25 so as to thereby permitliquid to pass upwardly through the hollow valve stem and abovethepiston v I the upper side of or plunger 27 when the relief valve isopen. The upper portion 37 of the stem, which may consist of a shortrod, extends through a stufiing box 38 in the lower wall 39 of thecylinder 14 and terminates at its upperend in a head 40. Said stufiingbox extends through the plunger 27 and into the hollow main valve stem,so as to thereby enable the casing to be materially shortened. 41designates a restoring spring for the relief valve which is locatedwithin the cylinder 14. It surrounds the stem 37 and is interposedbetween the head 40 and the follower member 42 of the stuffing box. Thearrangement is such that the said spring is under compression when therelief valve is closed so that the yieldable packing of the stufling box38 is maintained under compression.

Located within the cylinder 14 is a piston 45 comprising upper and lowerdisk-like members and a cup leather 46 clamped be tween the same. Saiddisk members are screw threaded to an extension fitting 48 which is inturn screw threaded to the lower end of a hollow operating stem 49 thatextends upwardly from the piston and outwardly through a suitablestuffing box 50 carried by the closing cap 15 of the cylinder 14. Asherein shown said stem embraces an extension member 51 which is screwthread ed to the upper end of the main portion of the stem and extendsinto and guidingly engages a neck 52 which is formed integral with andextends upwardly from the external member 53 of the stufling box 50. Theoperating stem is provided with a removable hand piece 54 shown as screwthreaded thereto. The compressible member of the stuffing box 50 ismaintained under compression by a spring 55 interposed between thefollower member of the stuffing box and an internal shoulder between theexterior member of saidstufling box and the neck 52.

The said cylinder 14 is adapted to be filled with a body ofsubstantially non-compressible liquid of a character other than that ofthe flushing liquid, such as a relatively heavy oil, to constitute inconnection with the piston 45 a timing device to control the closingmovement of the relief valve 35; a by-passbeing provided to permit thepassage of the liquid from the upper to the lower sides of the piston asit is reciprocated in the cylinder. As herein shown the liquid may beby-passed from the lower to the piston around the cup leatherpacking ofthe piston when the piston is depressed to open the relief valve 35.Said packing, however, prevents by-passing of the'liquid around thepiston in the upward movement thereof and in order to permit by-passingof the liquid from the upper to the lower side of the piston when thepis ton rises a bypass is provided which comprises an axial passage 56within the terminal fitting 48 that opens below the piston and a radialpassage 57 which communicates with the axial passage and opens above thepiston. The said by-pass thus formed is adapted to be controlled by aregulating valve 58 formed on the lower screw threaded end of a rod 59that extends through the hollow piston operating stem and is screwthreaded at its lower end to engage internal screw threads of the axialpassage 56. Said rod is slotted at its upper end to receive a screwdriver or like implement, when the hand piece'54 is removed, whereby thebypass may be more or'less opened to permit a faster or slower closingmovement of the relief valve 35, as desired.

In order to prevent the entrance of particles carried in suspension bythe liquid into the timing piston by-pass during the upward movement ofthe piston, such as would tend to clog the by-pass, I have provided ascreen 60 of the form shown in Figs. land 2 which surrounds the terminalfitting 48 and is held in place by a clamping member 61 which isscrewthreaded to the operating stem 49' near its lower end and bears atits lower annular edge against the margin of the screen and fits withinanupstanding lip 62 of the upper piston disk member, as shown in Fig. 1.The said clamping member 61 is provided with one or more openings 63through which liquid may flow. V

In the use of the device it will be understood that the branch 11 isconnected through the extension 11' to a source of flushing liquidsupply under pressure-and that the branch 12 is connected with the spacewhich is to receive supplies of liquid intermittently passed through thevalve de- 105 vice. WVhen itis desired to operate the flush valvepressure is applied to the hand piece 54 of the operating stem. Suchpressure depresses the piston 45 and therethrough. acts upon the reliefvalve stem to open the latter 110 valve. As soon as the relief valve isopened liquid passes through the hollow main valve stem to the upperside of the motor piston and overbalances the inlet pressure on the"main valve to open the main valve to the re- 115 quired extent to permita flushing flow of liquid therethrough. The opening movement of the mainvalve continues until. the lip or flange 27 of the piston or plunger 26"is depressed below the upper side of the out 120 let 12, whereupon waterescapes from the upper side of the piston throughsaid outlet, therebyreducing the pressure tending to 7 open the valve. "When the valve isthus fully opened and manual pressure is released from the relief'valveoperating stem 49, the spring 41 acts ,in conjunction with the inletpressure to close the main and relief, valves; the liquid above thepiston or plunger 26 escapingbetween the same and the cylinder wall assaid piston rises in the casing. The time required to close said mainvalve is governed by the regulation of the by-pass in the piston 45; Ifthe by-pass be checked down to permit the liquid to pass slowlytherethrough the duration of the closing period of the main valve willbe longer than if the by-pass valve be adjusted to permit the liquid toflow more freely through said by-pass.

It will be observed that the relief valve which controls the openingmovement of the main valve is operated directly by pressure on theoperating stem of the piston 15, said parts being arranged axially inline with each other so that the valve is operated with a minimiunexpenditure of manual power. It will be furthermore observed that whilethe valve stem is thus in a position to be acted upon by the piston,said parts are separately made. This arrangement is advantageousinasmuch as it simplifies the manufacture of the valve and reduces itscost. It is also advantageous in that the piston may be removed from thetiming cylinder without disturbing the main or relief valve, andtherefore without the necessity of shutting off the water or otherliquid, when such removal of the piston is desired to repair the packingthereof or to clear the by-pass in case of an obstruction or toreplenish the liquid of the timing cylinder. The construction shown anddescribed also enables the main and relief valves to be removed withoutdisturbing the timing piston when such removal is desired for thepurpose of repairing or replacing said parts, it only being necessa toremove the branch 11, whereupon, by olding the relief valve stem fromrotation, said valve and the main valve, as well as the diaphragm 18,may be removed downwardly through the open .lower end of the casing.

In practice I prefer to provide a shoul der 65 on the relief valve stemwhich is adapted to engage, when the stem is depressed, an opposingshoulder 66 within the hollow main valve stem, the parts being soproportioned that said shoulders are brought into contact when therelief valve stem is depressed sutliciently to open the latter valve therequired distance, so as to positively open the main valve by manualpower in the event that the movable parts should accidentally stick.

It will be understood that the structural details of the flush valvedescribed may be varied from those shown and herein described within'thespirit and scope of the claims hereto ap-pended'and that the inventionis not limited to such details except as to claims wherein the same arespecifically set forth, and as-imposed by the prior art.

I claim as my invention 1. A flush valve of that kind which iscontrolled by differential pressures acting on the operative partsthereof from a source of liquid supply under pressure, comprising acasing provided with an inlet and with an outlet, a main valve betweenthem, a relief valve controlling the main valve, a liquid controlled,regulable timing element in alinement with said relief valve for openingthe relief valve and for timing the closing movement of the valvedevice, said timing element being separate from and removableindependently of the relief valve and associated parts, meanscooperating with the relief-valve for holding it and its associatedparts closed and intact when the timing element is removed, and meansconstructed to permit removal of the main valve without disturbing saidtiming element.

2. A flush valve of that kind which is controlled by differentialpressures acting on the operative parts thereof from a source of liquidsupply under pressure, comprising a casing provided with an inlet andwith an outlet, a main valve between them, a relief valve controllingthe main valve, a liquid conltrolled, regulable timing element inalinement with said relief valve for opening the relief valve and fortiming the closing movement of the valve device, said timing elementbeing separate from and removable independently of the relief valve andassociated parts, and means cooperating with the relief valve forholding it and its associated parts closed and intact when the timingelement is removed, said casing being provided at its inlet, which is atthe end of the casing, with a seat member which is exposed at said endfor ready removal when a flush liquid conduit threaded to said casing isremoved.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 6th day of January A.D. 1916.

EDWARD L. KEL'LAN.

Witnesses:

W. L. HALL, V R. WILLNER.

